Acute Myocardial Infarction Caused by an Anomalous Right Coronary Artery Occlusion Presenting with Precordial ST

Bruno da Silva Matte1, Alexandre Damiani Azmus1

  • 1Hospital N.S. Conceição, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Insights

Right ventricular infarction can cause ST elevation in precordial leads, mimicking left anterior descending artery occlusion. Successful rescue angioplasty resolved symptoms and ECG abnormalities in a patient with right coronary artery thrombotic occlusion.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Clinical Case Study

Background:

  • Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with precordial ST-segment elevation typically indicates left anterior descending artery occlusion.
  • Isolated right ventricular infarction is an uncommon cause of ST elevation in leads V1-V3.

Observation:

  • A patient with prior inferior wall myocardial infarction presented with new ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
  • The STEMI was attributed to proximal right coronary artery thrombotic occlusion.
  • This occlusion led to right ventricular infarction, precordial ST elevation, and sinus node dysfunction.

Findings:

  • Successful rescue angioplasty was performed.
  • The intervention achieved resolution of the patient's acute symptoms.
  • Electrocardiographic abnormalities were also resolved post-angioplasty.

Implications:

  • This case highlights that right ventricular infarction can manifest with precordial ST elevation.
  • It underscores the importance of considering non-LAD occlusions in STEMI presentations.
  • Successful revascularization can effectively manage complex STEMI involving right ventricular infarction and sinus node dysfunction.

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